Sewing machine



July 9, 1935. v F. G. TILLETT SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor.

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F. G. TILLETT SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor.-

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ATT ORNEY July 9, 1 935. F.. G. TILLETT SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20; 1930 ZMUVfiflg 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1nvemkm'. Fr'edertck Gr. TL [\e'tt methane 9, 1 93 U 2 2,007,819

i UNI STAT-Es PATENT Q FICE V 2,007,189 V V SEWING MACHINE V Frederick George'Tillett, Easthouine, England Application September 20;19s0, SerialNo. 483,316 Y I In GreatfBritain May 7, 1930 12 was; (c1. 1 12-'-102) This invention. is for improvements inor're- Figure 8 is a plan view to an enlarged scale'of lating to sewing machines or an embroidery one of the series of guiding characters illustrated frame attachment therefor which enables charin Figures 6 and 7. acters such as letters, figures, script and the like 7 1 Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 5 to be stitched intoa piece of material for ex- 8. i '5 ample an article or clothing. i t Figure 10'is a plan view of a further modified Devices of this class usually comprise a design form of guiding means to that illustrated in reproducing frame, such as a pantograph, pro- Figures 1 to 3. vided with a work holderand a stylus which re- Figure '11 is a section on the line i l-r-l i of Fig l0 quires manual manipulation to move it over a urelO. l0

master design so as to, reproduce the design in Figure 12is a section on the line IZ|2 of Fig,-

stitching in a piece of material or the like carried ure 10 but drawn to anenlarged scale.

by the work holder; Figure 13 is a plan view of amodified form of The present invention provides various im the guiding means illustrated in Figures 10 to 12.

I5 provements in this class of devicewhich enable Figure 14 is a section on the line MM of 55 the manipulation thereof 'to be effected with Figure 13, and r greater rapidity and certainty thanjh'as hereto Figure 15 is a section on the line |5-I5 of fore been possible. Figure 13. u r V The invention mainly consists in a device of Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a

the class described, of the combination of at least sewing machine 2 mounted upon a work table 20 one member operable manually to move a piece has a-needle 3 which is arranged when'op erated of fabric in two substantially transverse directo sew desired characters into a piece of material ticns and readily changeable positive' guiding orarticleof clothing by means of an apparatus means for said member operableto determine the which'is hereinafter described. A movable mem configuration of the path of movement of the her 4 in the form of a'flat bar is horizontally dis- 25 said manually controlled member whereby a posed above the table I and is provided with an piece of material arranged under the -control of aperture 5 which is arranged to be located bethe said member is moved through apath cor neath'the need le 3.. One end of the member 45 responding substantially to the'c-onfiguration of has a slotfiformed therein disposed longitudinalthe guiding means for the purpose specified, 1y of the said member andthe stem of'a screw I 30 The guiding means may conform to a series of is arranged toextend through the slot 5 so that characters so that the" apparatus maybe used the head}! of the screw extends across the upper for the purpose of marking articles of clothing surface of the member 4 upon either side of the and the like with an identifying series of charslot 6. The screw 1 at its lower end is screwed v acters'or name, for example, "as is required in into a bush 9 secured within a ball race Ii 35 connectionfwith laundries; I mounted'within ahousing H which is carried In order that the invention may be fully un' upon the table 1. The arrangement is such .that derstood, reference is directedfto the accomhe e be 4 is maintained Substantially in a panying drawings, in which:.-.-' A u horizontal position, butis permitted'a slight ver- 40 Figure 1 is a frontelevation of an apparatus ticalmovement at its free end for apurpose here- 40 constructed in accordance with this;- invention inaiftei des p r y V tue of a very sli t Clea and showing a portion of a sewing machine ararise between the underside of the screw head 8 ranged in conjunction therewith. and the member 4. The slot-6 permits the mem- V FigureZ is a plan View of the apparatus -ilber Gto be pivoted around the screw 1 and to be lustratedin Figure l. 1 s moved in a longitudinal direction relatively 45 Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of- Figure thereto. r 1 I i i The-member 4 is arranged to extend over a Figure 4- isa section on the-line 4-4 of Figure horizontally disposed row of anti-friction balls 12 mounted upon the table 5 and-normally to lie in Figure 5 is a section illustrating a detail on contact therewith. The free end of the member 50 the line- 5-"5 of Figure 2. I 4 which projects beyondthe row of balls I2 is pro- Figure 6 is a plan view of-a modified form of vided with a finger piece I3 which permits the guiding means'to' that'shown in Figures l'to 3. same to be manipulated. A boss'ld is formed in I Figure '7 is a section on the line 1-4 of Figure the member 4 adjacent to the finger piece I3. An

6. r I a adjustable spindle I5 is screwed into the boss [4 55 and the lower end thereof is adapted to carry a pin I6 in a rigid manner, for example, through the medium of a set screw I4, so that the same extends downwardly in a vertical direction. The free end of the pin I6 is arranged to extend into a slot ll formed in a plate I8 and in the arrangement shown in Figure 2 the slot is in the form of a name in script.

A frame member I9 is hinged at 20 to one end of a link 2|, the other end of which is hinged at 22 to the member4. When the frame I9 is in the position indicated in full lines in Figures 1 and .2. an aperture therein is arranged to be located in coincidence with the aperture 5 in the member 4.

The member 4 is provided with a rectangular raised rib 23, Figures 2 and 5, which is arranged to extend within a corresponding recess 24 formed in the underside of the frame l9 between two rectangular ribs 25, 26 thereon, Figure5. The arrangement is such that if a piece of fabric is inserted between the member 4 and the frame I9 and the latter is then pressed into engagement with the fabric and the member 4, the fabric will be stretched over-the rectangular rib 26 and will take up the position indicated by the dotted line in Figure 5, so that the fabric extends slightly below the under surface of the member 4. A turnbutton 21 is pivotally mounted upon the upperside of the frame member I9 and is provided with two latches 28 which are arranged to extend into slots 29 formed in two lugs 30 arranged on the member 4, the arrangement being that the turnbutton when in the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 firmly clamps the frame I9 into engagement with the member 4. A tension spring 3| is connected between the link 2| and the member 4 so that when the turnbutton is moved to disengage the latches 28 from the slots 29 and the frame member I9 is given an initial upward movement, the spring 3| moves the frame I3 and link 2| into the position indicated in dot and dash lines, Figure I, and retains them in that position. Any other form of spring may be employed as desired in lieu of the tension spring 3|.

It is to be observed that a depression of the frame I9 from the raised position causes the free end thereof to contact with the member 4 at a point indicated by the dot and dash lines at A (Figure 1) so that further depression of, the frame It! causes the said frame and the link 2| to be extended into line with one another and the free end of the frame I9 moves beneath the raised needle 3.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:-

A piece of material or article of clothing in which characters are to be stitched is clamped between the frame l9 and the member 4 in the manner described above, and the pin I6 is moved by manipulating the finger piece I3 so as to extend into the slot ll of the guiding characters. This is permitted by virtue of the slight vertical movement of the free end of the member 4 which is made possible in the manner hereinbefore described. If the sewing machine is now set in operation and the pin I6 is moved through the path formed by the guiding characters by manipulation of the finger piece I3, corresponding characters are stitched into the material located within the aperture 5 by virtue of the accompanying movements of the member 4. The characters stitched by means of the apparatus illustrated are produced on a reducedscale to that of the guiding characters H in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame member 4 the stitched characters thus being distorted from the form of the guiding characters; the guiding characters may themselves be distorted to compensate for the distorting action of the member 4.

Arrangements are made to enable the plate |8 in which the guiding characters I 'l are formed to be readily changed. To this end the plate I8 is formed of U-shape in cross-section as shown in Figure 1 and is arranged to be placed in position around a supporting block 32 provided with a manipulatingknob 33 and to be located thereon between lugs 32. The block 32 with a plate I8 in position thereon is arranged to be slid between a pair of guides 34, 35 arranged transversely of the member 4 and which are mounted in a groove 36 formed in the table I. The guides 34, 35 are arranged respectively to embrace the guide plate I8 and the underside of the block 32 with sufficientfriction to retain the guide plate I8 firmly in position. The necessary friction is produced by a turnbutton 31; Figure 2, pivotally mounted upon the table I and which is arranged to press upon the upper surface of the guide 34. The guide 34 is provided with an aperture 34 which is normally disposed above the guiding characters H in the plate I8 to enable the pin I5 to be engaged therewith. By rotating theturnbutton 31 out of engagement with the guide 34 the block 32 and the guide plate|8 may be withdrawn from the guides 34, 35 and a fresh guide plate I8 may be placed in position. I

A recess 38 is formed in the upperside of the block 32 which is arranged to extend below the slot formed by the guiding characters I! and enables any fluff which may accumulate in the said slotto be pushed therethrough by the pin I6 and the' slot is thereby maintained clear of bstruction.

In order that guiding characters comprising a code number or the like may be used in addition to the script characters illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and whichare provided in a separate mechanism hereinafter described, the guides 34 and 35 are slidably mounted in the groove 36 so that they may be moved in the direction of the arrow a, Figure 2, clear of the free end of the member 4. The guides 34 and 35 are connected together by means of a bolt 39 which is arranged to extend through the said guides and through a slot 48, Figures 2 and 3, formed in the table I at the bottom of the groove 36, to ensure that the guides 34, 35 are movedtogether.

A mechanism which enables any series of guiding characters to be selected is illustrated in Figures 6 to 9 and diagrammatically in Figure 2. In the said figures a framework 4| in which the said mechanism is mounted is arranged to be moved along guides 42 secured to the underside of the table I so that the mechanism may be correctly located with respect to the pin I6 carried by the member 4. The mechanism comprises a series of character wheels 43, 44, 45, 46 mounted respectively upon a spindle 41 and 'nested tubes 48, 49 and 50 arranged concentrically therewith. One end of the spindle 41 is mounted in a bearing in the frame 4| and the tube 50' is similarly mounted in a bearing 52. The spindle 41 and the tubes 48, 49 and 50 are arranged to extend beyondthe front edge of the table the inner tubes and the spindle 41 being arranged successively to extend beyond the next outermost tube. Each of the said. tubes and the spindle is provided with a handwheel 53 secured thereto so that a rotationof .the hand wheel effects rotation of the corresponding character wheel 43, 44, 45 or 46,

atom c are coloured in a distinguishing manner;

Each of the hand wheels 53 is provided on one face thereof with a series of notches 55, corre:. sponding in number to the. series of characters thereon and are arranged to cooperate with spring controlled detents 55which are each are ranged to locate one of the hand wheels'and the corresponding character wheel many selected position. v v Thus it will be observed that by rotation ofthe hand wheels 53 any selected combination of guide ing characters may be moved into the uppermost position upon the character wheels 43 to ifi'a'nd th pin t m e mov d so a o tend t ou h. t o s m d b the ui n ha cters in. succession and be guided thereby to eifect move; ments of theniember 4 which ensure that correpe ha a te ar e t t he to-a pi c of material locatedoyerthe aperture 5 of the mem: her 4. a r r Th slots forming t u n char cte s in he character wheels 43 to 46 are arranged to extend completely through the rim of the said wheels so as to preventthe accumulationof fluft in the said slots and where a character is of su'cha nature that a portion of the rim of the wheel would normally be disconnected from the said rim the said portion is provided with a bridge piece 51, Figures 8 and 9, which connects. the centralportion of the character to the rim of the wheeli Depressions 58 are formed in thebridge piece 51 upon either side of the centralportion of the characteras as to. allow the Jpin' to extend completely through the rim as indicated in Fig-v ure 9.

When the mechanism described above isnot required for use, it is only necessary to move the u de a t being m ved i tq position t enable guide plates H3 hereinbefore describedlto be used.

. A modified form of mechanis lto that illustrat ed in Figures 6 to 9 is illustrated in Figures 10 to 12 in which a series of bars 59 are slidably mounted in a framev 5B which is arranged to en.- gage with the guides 42 in a. similar manner to thefrarne work 41 of the mechanism illustrated in Figures 6 to 9. Each of the bars59 is provided 'with a series of slots inthe form of guiding characters 62., which may be selectively located be-,

heath an aperture 53 formed in the frame 60 by, an appropriate longitudinal movement of the bars the member 4 so that the said pin may be moved into engagement .withany of theiguiding characs ters-BZ which are alignedbelow thesaid aperture. The guidingcharacters .62 are then'utilized to effecttithe stitching of similar characters to an article ofyclothing or the like in a mannersimillar. to that described with reference to Figures (Etc 9;

l v It is to be observed that lieu of the knobs Gilda: series of vertically disposed-levers maybe pivotally mounted to brackets secured to the frameifl andjthelower end of' each lever is operatively. connected to one of the bars 59 so that amanipul'ation'of the upper ends of the levers effectsthe required longitudinal displacement of the said bars. 7 I v Referring now to Figures 13 to 15 a mechanism similarto that shown in Figures 10 to 12 is illustrated inwhich the longitudinal movement of the bars 59 is effected-by the rotation of the corresponding series of'knobs 66. Each knob 66 is mounted at oneend of a spindle 61 which is ro-. tatably mounted in hearings in the frame 60 so asto extend beneath the bars 59. Each spindle 6''! i provided with a pinion 68 keyed thereto which is, arran ed to. mesh with 'and to support a:toothed rack 69 provided upon the underside of the corresponding bar 59. The racks 69 are supported ata second'point by a guide wheel H1 which is rotatably mounted upon one of the spindles 67,. The guide wheels 10 are flanged to prevent the same from moving out of engagement ith tbe or es ndi s racks. .7

It will be observed that by. rotating the knobs 66 anyselected series of guiding characters on the bars 59 may be moved into alignment. be neath the aperturedfi in the frame 69.

.A pair of clamps 'il are arranged within .the

frame 30 and located one uponeither side of the With'an operatinghandle 15. The spindle '13 is provided with a cam- 16 which is arranged to coact with an abutment I! secured to the outer face of the clamp. H which is disposed remote from "thenut 14,. The. arrangementis such that rotation of the spindle 13 bythe handle 15 in one direction causes the cam 16 to move the abutment 11 and the corresponding clamp H therewith so as to lock thebars 59 against movement. Rotae tion of the spindle 13 in the opposite direction causes the cam 16to release the clamps H and permit the bars 59 to be manipulated.

I. c aim 1 In a, device of the class described, the com-.

'bination of a ,manually operable design repro dueing frame provided with work holding means, a guiding stylus on said frame, a plurality of members movably mounted upon a support therefor and each provided withv a guideway conforms ing to a, desired configuration, and means operable to move any selected member into a predetermined position relatively to said support and render thej guideway in said member accessible to said stylus for the purpose specified.

' 2; Ida device of the class described, the cornbination of a manually operable design reproducing frame provided with work holding means,

a guiding stylus on said frame, at least one wheel rotatably mounted upon a support therefor, a plurality of guideways in the form of characters disposed around the'periphery of said wheel and means operable'to'secure said wheel in any selected position about its axis whereby said stylus may be moved to extend into a selected guideway for the purpose specified. i

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a manually operable designreproducing frame provided-with work holding means, a guiding stylus :on said frame,.at least one bar member slidably mounted in a support therefor, a plurality of'guideways conforming toicharacters formed in said ban-said bar beingmovable to bringany selected character into a predetermined position relatively to said support in which it is accessible to the said stylus for the purpose specified. 1 4; In a device of the class described, the combination of a manually operable design repro ducing frame provided with work holding means,

. a guiding stylus on said frame, at least one bar member slidably mounted in a support therefor, a plurality of guideways conforming to characters formed in said bar, said bar being operable so as to move any selected character into a predetermined position in which it is accessible to the said stylus, and means operable to lock said bar in any selected position, for the purpose specified.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a manually operable design reproducing frame provided with work holding means, a guiding stylus'on said frame, a plurality of guide bars slidably mounted in a support therefor and located in side by side relationship to one another, a plurality of guideways in the form of characters in each of said bars, said bars being operable so as to move any selected character on each thereof into a predetermined position relatively tosaid support with the selected charactersaligned with one another and in which the said characters are accessible to said stylus for the purpose specified.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a manually operable design reproducing frame provided with work holding means, a guiding stylus on said frame, at least one bar member slidably mounted in a support therefor, a plurality of guideways conforming to characters formed in'said bar, rack and pinion mechanism operatively connected to said bar and operable manually to move the bar and bring anyv selected character into a predetermined position in which itis accessible to the said stylus for the purpose specified.

'7. In a device of the class described, the com bination of a manually operable design reproducing'frame provided'with work holdingmeans, a guiding stylus on said frame, at least one bar member slidably mounted in a support therefor, a plurality of guideways conforming to characters formed in said bar, rack and pinion mecha nism operatively connected to said bar and operable manually to move the bar and bring any selected character into a predetermined position in which it is accessible'to the said stylus and means operable to 'lock said bar in any selected position for the purpose specified,

1 8. In fa device of the class described, the combination of a manually operable design reproducing frame provided with work holding means,

a guiding stylus on said frame, a plurality of guide bars slidably mounted in a support therefor and located in side by side relationship to one another, a plurality of guideways in the form of characters in each of said bars, rack and pinion mechanism operatively connected to said bars and operable to move any selected character in each bar into a predetermined position relatively to said support with the selected characters aligned with one another andin which position the said characters are accessible to said stylus for the purpose specified.

-9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame member operatively connected towards one endlthereof by pin and slot mechanism to a support so as to be operable manually to be oscillated about said pin and to be moved longitudinally thereon, a stylus on said member located towards the other end thereof, a work holder carried by said member and located between said support and said stylus, at least one plate, provided with a rigid guide surface for said stylus conforming to a desired configuration and a support for said plate having attachment means therefor to enable said plate to be readily changed and to be retained on said support in a fixed position, for the purpose specified.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame member operatively connected towards one end thereof bypin and slot mechanism to a support so as to be operable manually to be oscillated about said pin and to be moved longitudinally thereon, a stylus on said member located towards the other end thereof, a work holder including a clamping frame located between said support and said stylus, means operable to lock the said frame in a clamping position and means operable automatically to maintain said frame when unclamped in a position spaced away from said member, for the purpose specified.

11., A guide device for an embroidery frame of the class described, which comprises in combination a frame, at least one bar member slidably mounted for lengthwise movement in said frame, a plurality of guideways recessed into said bar in spaced relationship therealong and each conforming in configuration toa character, a frame element disposed over said bar and an aperture in said element so dimensioned that said characters can be'exposed th'erethrough one at a time by I lengthwise movement of said bar;

12. A guide device for an embroidery frame of the class described, which comprises in combination a' frame, a plurality of bar members slidably mounted for lengthwise movement independently 1 of one anotherin said frame, said bars being arranged in side by side relationship with one an-- other, a plurality of guideways recessed into each of saidbars'in spaced relationship therealong on faces thereof disposed'in one plane and each guideway conforming in configuration to a character, a frame'element covering at least a portion of all said bars, and an aperture in said element extending across all said bars and of a width such that the characters of all said bars can be exposed through the aperture in any combination of any one character from each bar by lengthwise movements oi said bars.

FREDERICK GEORGE 'I'ILLE'I'I. 

